Although the vast majority of plastics are electrically insulating, there is frequently a need for the preparation of plastics having electrical conductivity. Applications of electrically conductive plastics can include anti-static discharge protection, electromagnetic interference shielding, electrode materials, electrically conducting wires or traces, and semi-conductor devices (OLEDs, photovoltaics, transistors).
Difficulties arise when a manufacturer wants to incorporate electrical conductivity into a plastic component that is already being manufactured in significant quantities. To add conductivity, manufacturers are faced with the undesirable prospect of switching to a new raw material having the desired electrical properties, and then reconfiguring their processes to account for the changed mechanical and/or chemical properties associated with the new raw material.
There is therefore a need in the art for a method which allows manufacturers to form, mold, shape, machine, cast, and/or extrude plastics without changing their starting materials and manufacturing processes, and then impart electrical conductivity to these materials through the use of a non-destructive, post-process application.